September 21: Independence Day in Malta
Prayer Idea
Pray for the people and government of Malta.
Map by Peter Hermes Furian / Shutterstock.com.
History Note
Malta is a country with two main islands, Malta and Gozo, and a few smaller islands in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily and east of Tunisia.
Evidence of human habitation goes back thousands of years. Malta became part of the Phoenician civilization as they spread across the Mediterranean. It later became part of the Roman Empire. The Book of Acts describes how Paul the Apostle was shipwrecked on the island. St. Paul’s Bay is the name of a community there.
During the Middle Ages, the islands were controlled by the Byzantines, the Arabs, and the Normans. Malta was the base of the Sovereign and Military Order of the Knights of Malta (also known as the Hospitallers) from 1530 to 1798. Malta came under British control in the 1800s. Malta finally achieved full independence on September 21, 1964.
The country has less than half a million people. The Maltese are largely descended from the ancient Phoenician settlers, with some mixture of Italian and other Mediterranean peoples. About 90% of the population belong to the Roman Catholic Church, which is the official church of the country.
The Maltese language is a Semitic language, related to Arabic, with influence and vocabulary from Italian, Sicilian, and English. Maltese is the only Semitic language written in the Latin alphabet.
Keeping bees and making honey have been important in Malta for many centuries. Some apiaries (collections of beehives like those in the photo) on the islands date back to Roman or even Phoenician times. The name Malta may even come from the ancient Greek word for honey. Photo by Ian Thraves Photography / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
Watch this newsreel footage of the ceremonies around Malta's independence in 1964.
Find more resources at Homeschool History.
